The C Bebop Half-Diminished uses nine notes per octave. Because of this same reason it is a member of the so called Nonatonic or Ennatonic -scales that have Nine-note (or Nine-tone).
On the piano keyboard, it is made up of four black keys: Db, Eb, Gb, and Ab and four white keys: C, F, G, and B. This combination makes this scale - as well as the C Bebop Dominant, C Bebop Major I, and C Bebop Major II - as great choices for composing or improvising American music.

If we take a look a the key signature of the C Bebop Half-Diminished Scale we can find it has four flats and no sharps. Therefore, on sheet music you will find four accidentals on the score. The notes of this scale are: C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, Ab, and B.

How to play the C Bebop Half-Diminished scale?

1

To play the C Bebop Half-Diminished on your piano, start on the Root note.
Play C, the first note of the scale.

2

Continue with rest of the notes
that shape the scale, play Db, Eb, F, Gb, G, Ab, and B.

3

Return to the home of the C Bebop Half-Diminished scale.
Play again C -the tonic of the scale- to mark its ending.

How to play the scale in descending fashion?

1

Begin on the last note.
Play the C, the last (and first) note of the scale.

2

Go down.
Play B, Ab, G, Gb, F, Eb, and Db.

3

Reach the home again.
Establish tonality by playing the tonic of the C Bebop Half-Diminished scale: C.

4

Tip.
If you want to learn how to improvise or compose your own music using the C Bebop Half-Diminished scale or any other scale, check out our piano improvisation and composition lessons and enjoy thousands of interactive multimedia piano animations.